NJ dentist sues former colleague over allegedly fake online reviews

HACKENSACK – Two dentists who worked together in Englewood Cliffs are embroiled in a lawsuit with one practitioner claiming the other posted defamatory reviews about him online in an effort to destroy his reputation, according to a lawsuit filed in Bergen County.

Dong Hyun Lee, 52, claims in court papers that former colleague Catherine Chen, 40, posted a fake review about his practice on the Heath Grades website in January 2016, disguising herself as “Q.T. from Palisades Park.”

“This is the worst dental experience I have ever encountered in my life!” the post states, according to the lawsuit.

“From the long waiting time to the rough and painful handling while working on my teeth to insurance fraud for charging my insurance for work that Dr. Dong Lee never did, I can’t imagine any other dental office can be as terrible as this one!” the suit claims the poster wrote. “Run as fast as you can from this place!”

Lee and Chen worked together for a time at Lee’s practice, Sylvan Dental, which serves clients in North Jersey and several counties in New York, according to the suit. Chen is identified in court papers as a tenant in Lee’s practice.

“Over time, the name ‘Sylvan Dental’ and ‘Dong Lee’ have become synonymous with high quality dental care provided to the Korean-American community and to the community at large,” the suit states.